Kevin Love - Miami Ground Machine

[Flight479]

Everyone is talking about how he's being used offensively when his defense has been a problem. I honestly think we've used him much better on offense when compared to previous seasons.
Defensively he's a nightmare. He was the main culprit in the 4th defensively. Didn't even bother contesting guards at the rim. He was so bad that trading him has already entered my mind for the season. We'll never be a good defensive team with Love at the 5. Not going to happen. Guards purposely look to go to the rim every time he's back there. The guy looks hopeless. That's a problem because LeBron is at his best at the 4. So where does that leave Love?

 

[enthb]

Love can only be effective at offense if he plays center against most teams. His defense is gonna be weak at either 4 or 5. As mentioned above he just doesn't fit anymore. The typical power forward has changed. He has no confidence. He has missed almost every mid range shot this year and he has trouble finishing around the basket when contested. Actually the biggest problem on offense is that he can't create his own shot. So that leaves us with one person on the team that can effectively. I say that because technically shump can.

Plus playing Love at the 5 decreases our problems from two to one. So its addition by subtraction. I think the lineup needed more time. Because this one is dreadful. Ive played sports for years and never understood the idea of not caring if the guy looking you in the eyes gets the best of you. I always took it personal and wasn't gonna let them think they were better than me. I was better than some, worse than some but tried as hard as anyone and thats what the coach expected. Neither Love nor TT have any of this inside them. You can tell TT is just clueless after a failed defensive play. Just watch his face. Love just lacks grit and effort.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

I think the Cavs should really explore trading Love.

I would feature him in the offense and look to trade with the Pelicans for Cousins if things don't work out for them. If we don't trade him this season, we need to trade him at draft night. He has no place on our team it looks like.. unfortunately.

Love him as a person, looks like a great guy off the court.. But if he doesn't help us in the regular season just to spare Lebron some minutes then he is useless, because looking like this he certainly doesn't help us against the Warriors. I'm sorry, but it's the truth.

Are there any other options and trade partners? obviously he needs more time, but I'm dying to see something that points me to believe he is still a star in this league.
If I had no idea about the NBA or basketball, then I would think he were a total scrub.

 

[MirORich]

Love never played alongside a Center that complemented his skillset other than Mozgov. Pekovic was not a good rim protector.. and he wasn't much of a defender either.

Love is just used as a role player here of the lowest degree. Why don't we see dribble hand-offs, big to big screening, etc? It's bullshit... but that's on our coach and even Lebron.

It's partly just the NBA in general.

Unless you are just a dominant big or clearly the best player on your team(Embiid, Porzingis, Davis, Cousins, etc), the guards and wings that handle the ball just do not consistently set up bigs on a game in, game out basis. Love not being great at putting it on the floor and driving(like Cousins can) makes it even harder. He truly needs to be set up and schemed in to the gameplan each night to fully maximize his offensive contribution

I'm a big fan of what Love brings. Even in games when he's not shooting a lot, the spacing he creates. But I'm getting close to the point(not out of anger towards Love or anyone really) were I'd be totally fine with the risk of a Love for Cousins trade.

New Orleans is nowhere near ready to move him yet, but if things are looking bad for them in January, that's a call we'll have to make.

 

[Cratylus]

So the Cavs score 130 and our "#2" takes a whopping 5 shots in 26 and a half minutes. Way to step up and take charge, Kevin.

 

[The Red Viper]

I think the Cavs should really explore trading Love.

I would feature him in the offense and look to trade with the PElicans for Cousins if things don't work out for them. If we don't tradeh im this season, we need to trade him at draft night. He has no place on our team it looks like.. unfortunately.

Love him as a person, looks like a great guy off the court.. But if he doesn't help us in the regular season just so spare Lebron some minutes then he is useless because looking like this he certainly doesn't help us against the Warriors. I'm sorry, but it's the truth.

Are there any other options and trade partners? obviously he needs more time, but I'm dying to see something that points me to believe he is still a star in this league.
If I had no idea about the NBA or basketball, then I would think he were a total scrub.

Yep.

Its a shame because I love Kev and would have killed to have someone like him in LeBron's first stint here but in current NBA, he isn't what we need the most at this point. Especially with LeBron transitioning into a Power Forward as he grows older.

 

[The Red Viper]

So the Cavs score 130 and our "#2" takes a whopping 5 shots in 26 and a half minutes. Way to step up and take charge, Kevin.

That is fine imo.

Guys were hot and shooting well. Rose was amazing in the first half. Crowder in the 3rd quarter and then it was LeBron show. Its just that his defense is so bad, that whatever good things he brings on the offensive end kinda gets neutalized.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

It's partly just the NBA in general.

Unless you are just a dominant big or clearly the best player on your team(Embiid, Porzingis, Davis, Cousins, etc), guards and wings that handle the bard just do not consistently set up bigs on a game in, game out basis. Love not being greta at putting it on the floor and driving(like Cousins can) makes it even harder.

I'm a big fan of what Love brings. Even in games when he's not shooting a lot, the spacing he creates. But I'm getting close to the point(not out of anger towards Love or anyone really) were I'd be totally fine with the risk of a Love for Cousins trade.

New Orleans is nowhere near ready to move him yet, but if things are looking bad for them in January, that's a call we'll have to make.

Love was very much beneficial just a year ago when teams didn't have so many stretch 4's and 5's. His impact as a result has gone done along with his game. I think his RPM is going to be one of the lowest of his career.

Trading for Cousins is a risk that i'm willing to take if we can't find any good offers on the table for Love. If we are able to re-sign Cousins then it's a big win. Love's value will go down fast if he keeps playing like that.. we need to feature him in the offense, pronto.

 

[Jscc]

Kevin's short chart.

 

[MirORich]

Love was very much beneficial just a year ago when teams didn't have so many stretch 4's and 5's. His impact as a result has gone done along with his game. I think his RPM is going to be one of the lowest of his career.

Trading for Cousins is a risk that i'm willing to take if we can't find any good offers on the table for Love. If we are able to re-sign Cousins then it's a big win. Love's value will go down fast if he keeps playing like that.. we need to feature him in the offense, pronto.

The Cousins thing will be a non starter until January. New Orleans isn't going to make a rash move early. But if they are looking awful and begin to fear the risk of Cousins leaving and/or not working out, they could value someone like Love next to AD as a slightly better fit than Cousins and with an extra year on the contract.

Also, as it applies to the team as a whole, to each player, and to Love, it's just 9 games in. We know we may never feature Love as a 16-20 shot player every game, but if we can establish that he can still do that role when called upon, he's still more valuable than a package of role players. If we moved him, it has to be for an impact player.

 

[Cratylus]

Kevin's short chart.

Elite.

 

[Soar]

Yeah I'm really not sure Love sticks around past the deadline this year.

He's just a weird fit on this team.

He's not a 5. Can't protect the rim at all.

He just seems to end up as a stretch 4 no matter what Lue says about getting him involved more etc.

I mean he's far better than Ryan Anderson but if you put Ryan Anderson on this team, I'm not sure how much difference there would be simply because of how we use Love.

And we know he doesn't exactly light up GS.

So if something was out there, I think its possible he could be moved.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

The Cousins thing will be a non starter until January. New Orleans isn't going to make a rash move early. But if they are looking awful and begin to fear the risk of Cousins leaving and/or not working out, they could value someone like Love next to AD as a slightly better fit than Cousins and with an extra year on the contract.

Also, as it applies to the team as a whole, to each player, and to Love, it's just 9 games in. We know we may never feature Love as a 16-20 shot player every game, but if we can establish that he can still do that role when called upon, he's still more valuable than a package of role players. If we moved him, it has to be for an impact player.

What's a package of role players exactly?

If love doesn't score then I want him to set proper screens atleast.. help the offense in other ways other than spot up. On defense I don't even bother anymore. But the things he can change I just don't get. Show some intangibles on the floor.

I would take a stretch 4/good mobile rim protector and a draft pick or two. I know it's not alot, but his value doesn't look too good.

 

[MirORich]

What's a package of role players exactly?

If love doesn't score then I want him to set proper screens atleast.. help the offense in other ways other than spot up. On defense I don't even bother anymore. But the things he can change I just don't get. Show some intangibles on the floor.

I would take a stretch 4/good mobile rim protector and a draft pick or two. I know it's not alot, but his value doesn't look too good.

That's a deal I might take in the offseason(especially if things went nuclear and LeBron left) but I would just be cautious to replace Love with one dimensional stretch4 or rim protector with zero range.

Even when he's not involved, he still brings elite rebounding, good passing, and spaces the floor just by his presence. And when he's involved and on, there's very few players with that exact skill set.

So I just don't think we can act out of frustration or completely take for granted what he brings even when he's off or not as involved.

 

[The Red Viper]

What's a package of role players exactly?

If love doesn't score then I want him to set proper screens atleast.. help the offense in other ways other than spot up. On defense I don't even bother anymore. But the things he can change I just don't get. Show some intangibles on the floor.

I would take a stretch 4/good mobile rim protector and a draft pick or two. I know it's not alot, but his value doesn't look too good.

Houston is a kind of team who would be interested in Kev and in D'Antoni's system he will thrive a lot as well. Eric Gordon + Clint Capela for Kevin Love? I would do that deal happily but doubt Houston would!